Everything
by TheSentinel98
Summary: This fanfiction takes place during the hunt for the Horcruxes after Ron left the trio.
1. Chapter 1: Part I

**Author's note:**

When i rewatched all eight films in a marathon at my local cinema last weekend, Harry and Hermiones incredible friendship inspired me to write this fanfiction. I want to point out that i see their relationship as absolutly platonic. Please leave a comment to help me improve my skills. The story was orignally written by me in german.

I cut the story in three parts and an interplay.

* * *

 **Part I:**

Hermione sat alone in her chair in the dark tent. It was already late afternoon and bitterly cold. But it was not as icy as she felt inside. Since Ron left Harry and her, her life seemed like a neverending nightmare to her. Every time she closed her eyes she saw him standing in front of her asking her to go with him.

Even though she had not the slightest doubt that the only right thing to do was staying with Harry, it was not enought to comfort her. At the thought of Harry, she looked up and toward the tent entrance. She could see his outline where he sat wrapped in a blanket guarding the entrance. She knew that he too was suffering under Ron's absence and so she tried to control herself and to hide her grief as best she could, but especially in the long dark nights she was not strong enought. She had spend more than one night crying and she was not sure if Harry had noticed that.

She had known from the beginning that she would do anything to help Harry, and she had no illusions about their job. A small part of her could understand Ron's decision, even if she would never do the same. She knew that she needed to be strong for Harry because she was the only one left. All these thoughts kept running endlessly through her head. Finally, she dozed off, exhausted from the many sleepless nights full of tears and grief.

A sudden thud brought her awake an hour later. She immediately jumped to her feet and looked around in alarm. But the only thing she could see was Harry, who was standing next to the table he had obviously just kicked.

"Harry", she began: "Is everything okay? ". At the same moment, she realized how stupid these words must sound. But he did not give her time to think about her words. He just started to laugh dryly. Her hair stood immediatly on end because he sounded so strange and not like himself.

"Of course everything is okay", he replied sarcastically. "It could not be better. We just did not achieve anything".

Such words were very uncharacteristic for the Harry she knew and involuntarily she was wary.

"Harry", she started again: "You know that's not true. We have…"

But he interrupted her before she could complete her sentence.

"What do you know", he snapped. Now she was really nervous and tears came to her eyes when she heard him say that. "You are really no help. Damn Mudblood".

After this word had fallen it was completely silent in the tent. The cold atmossphere in the room moved to absolute zero. Hermione and Harry stared at each other two and a half meters away from each other. Hermione had lost her voice in the meantime. Tears rolled down her cheeks, but when she spoke, her voice had become deadly calm.

"What did you say? I want you to apologize on the spot". Hermione kept her voice calm with all the power she could muster. That her best friend could call her like that broke her heart.

"You can forget that Mudblood", Harry hurled at her. His otherwise glowing green eyes were dark and hateful. Hermione jumped half a step back as she saw the expression on his face. Harry, on the other hand, took half a step away from her toward the exit. As he moved she saw a brief golden flash on his neck. She suddenly realized everything. Likewise, she realized that Harry had been wearing the Horcrux for almost two full days now. With lightspeed she gathered herself so that her voice sounded commanding, even though her tears were still running down her cheeks and she felt dreadful.

"Take it off immediately", she ordered.

"What did you say", Harry said, turning back to her. His expression had become even darker and around him random things began to wobble on the table and on the cupboards.

For the first time in her life, she felt scared at Harry's sight. Slowly so that he would not notice it, she pulled her wand and held it hidden behind the chair next to which she was standing.

"I said take off the medallion. I implore you".

An almost endless silence followed these words. They both stood still like statues in the room and looked at each other. Hermione tensed more and more with each second and her hand closed so tightly around her hidden wand that her knuckles became white. Harry slowly raised his right arm and for a tiny split second, she thought he would now draw his wand. She knew she would have a realistic chance of beating Harry in a duel, despite Harry's advantage in defensive magic, but she did not want to imagine the consequences for them if they would turn on each other.

But as soon as the moment had come, it was already gone. He raised his hand to the chain around his neck and pulled it over his head. The unwitting magic he had done ceased at once, and all the quivering things lay still again. The hateful look on his face vanished and a look of horror replaced it. He turned white like ash and the Horcrux fell from his weak hand to the floor beside him.

"I... I'm sorry", he stammered before he fled the tent.

Hermione relaxed and was able to breathe normally again after involuntarily holding her breath.

"Harry...", she called after him. But he was already outside.

At first she wanted to run after him but for the moment she lacked the strength to follow him. She picked up the Horcrux and put it on. Then she stumbled to the steps in front of the beds and settled down with her last strength. She wiped her tears off with her sleeve.

As if by magic, the radio next to her started playing.


	2. Chapter 2: Interplay

**Interplay:**

There she sat lonely and thoughts of Ron and Harry crossed her mind as the latter wordlessly came back into the tent and dropped into a chair.

She looked up but did not say anything because she knew he would talk when he was ready. And so she just kept looking sadly in her lap.

She did not look up when she heard Harry getting to his feet. It was not until his shadow touched on her that she looked up. He said nothing, but reached out his hand to her.

She did not know what that meant, but she took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.

Harry raised his hands and opened the chain of the Horcrux around her neck and took off.

She could immediately feel the effect as her heart became lighter. She still felt terrible, but now everything was not so unbearable.  
The radio in the background was now playing a song and Harry took Hermione's hands in his own and pulled her into the middle of the tent.

As she wondered where this was going, he began to move slowly back and forth, dragging her along. She could not believe that in her current situation he had nothing better to do than to dance with her. But she did not resist when he kept moving and so she let herself be led on and on. She had to admit that she was actually enjoying it and the first genuine smile in days stole onto her face. So she left everything behind and started to take the initiative herself.

Soon they danced frolicked through the tent, sometimes arm in arm, then again swirling around each other. For weeks, they had not had so much fun and all worries were forgotten for the moment. They were again ordinary young adults who could enjoy the joys of life, instead of frontline soldiers on a secret mission, sent out by a commander now long dead and buried to win a war that otherwise would destroy anything they had ever known and loved. Hermione could not help but laugh as Harry once again spinned her around and he joined in.

From the outside, they looked like two normal teenagers.

The next time they approached each other, Hermione rested her head on his shoulder and put her arm around him.  
They slowly danced around in a tight embrace and both found solace and security in each other. After a few more turns, the song they danced to ended and they broke away and looked at each other.

But with the song, the magic of the moment was gone and all worries collapsed again with full force on them.

Hermione could not help but turn away. She did not want Harry to see the tears that had come into her eyes. She wanted to be strong for him. So she slowly walked out of the tent and settled on a fallen tree in the snowy forest and buried her face in her hands where he could not see her tears.

Harry's worries were back, as well, and he became painfully aware of his arguement with Hermione 90 minutes ago and how he had called her. It was hard for him, but he knew that she really deserved an apology and so he followed her outside.


	3. Chapter 3: Part II

**Part II:**

He saw Hermione sitting on a log. She offered a pathetic look as she sat there slumped He could see her shoulders shaking and he was sure the arctic temperature was not the reason.

Hermione did not hear him coming. As his shadow fell on her, she flinched. She looked up at him.

"Harry. I'm sorry, I did not see you coming". She wiped the tears from her reddened eyes.

Harry settled down next to her: "I... ", he began hesitantly: "I wanted to apologize to you. I was terrible to you ". He took her hands in his and squeezed them: "I was so mad from the locket that...". He did not manage to speak. A huge lump in his throat made it impossible.

Hermione looked at him and tears ran down her cheeks again: "Please promise me that you will never do that again". She sobbed and then continued: "You sounded just like he did".

It was the first time since Ron had disappeared that they mentioned him.

"I was really worried about you, that you would do something stupid, that you'll regret afterwards."

"Believe me, Hermione, I've already done that," he answered softly. He squeezed her hands again, "Can you forgive me, Hermione?" He asked sheepishly.

"Of course Harry, you were not yourself".

He was indescribably happy when he heard those words from her, but Hermione still looked deadly unhappy to him. Harry had never been good at talking about feelings, but he wanted to be there for her so he asked: "Hermione, what's up?".

She did not answer immediately but just looked in her lap: "I miss him so much Harry", she admitted.

Harry spread his arms, pulling her close and closed her in a tight hug. She snuggled against him, burying her face in his shoulder.

His answer was only a whisper, but she still heard him: "Believe me Hermione, me too".

Part of him was still mad at Ron, but a much bigger part yearned for his friend.

"I'm so glad you stayed with me, Hermione. You are my everything. All I have left". He kissed her lightly on the top of her head.

"I would never leave you Harry, you know that". Her answer was no more than a whisper as well. "You're my best friend. I would follow you into death".

Now it was Harry who had tears in his eyes. He could not express how happy he was to have her. He tried to hold back the tears, but his fight was in vain. He hugged Hermione even tighter and his tears fell on her hair. She stroked his back as her tears continued to fall into his lap.

So they just sat there on the log and found comfort and warmth in the presence of each other. When their tears finally dried up it was already deep night and freezing cold. A sharp wind announced a stormy night. , But both felt as free as since before their trip. Gone was the burden of the unspoken mourning for Ron's disappearance. Both knew that they could entrust the burden of the world to the other. Harry gently pushed Hermione back and wiped the dried tears from her cheeks. She gave him a faint smile. He pulled her to her feet and arms wrapped tightly around each other, they slowly went back into the tent.


	4. Chapter 4: Part III

**Part III:**

Arriving in the tent, they broke up. Harry tapped the teapot, which immediately began to hiss. Hermione on the other hand had sat down at the table and had summoned a fire in a large bowl. Harry poured two cups of tea and handed her one. She took them with a grateful smile in both hands to warm up. He then went to the entrance of the tent and closed the entrance, so that no heat could escape. The wind was now whistling audibly around her tent.

"I do not think any of us have to keep watch tonight", he said to Hermione as he sat down with her: "we would freeze to death in the storm. Besides, we both need some rest". She nodded in agreement. Silently they drank their tea.

This silence was very different from the one that had prevailed between them hours before. Their talk had worked wonders and both enjoyed the pleasant silence.

As both cups were emptied, Harry went into the bathroom while Hermione prepared the beds. When he returned to the room, Hermione had piled all the blankets on one bed and was about to lie down in it. She smirked when she saw Harry's questioning look.

"I do not want to end up with one of us remaining frostbite", she waved him over. He was not sure at first but he bent to her determined look and so he crawled to her under the blankets. , Hermione snuggled close to him and he had to admit that the idea was not so bad after all. For days he had not been as warm as now.

"Hermione", he asked softly.

"Hmm?", she answered sleepily and turned around that they faced each other. Her face was only inches from his.

"You know that I love you like a sister. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have you".

"I know Harry, I love you too", she replied softly.

He kissed her lightly on the forehead. She responded with a kiss on his cheek before she turned back, a smile on her lips. Cuddled tight against the cold, they fell asleep.

END


End file.
